


we're sleeping through the days

by jerk3max



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Teacher AU, coffee shop AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-04
Updated: 2017-08-04
Packaged: 2018-12-11 05:30:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11707782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jerk3max/pseuds/jerk3max
Summary: Rhett was always served by the same barista.





	we're sleeping through the days

**Author's Note:**

> another quick thing, based on a story i heard. 
> 
> also its my birthday tomorrow (aug 5th) so this fluff is a gift from me to me!
> 
> title is from PUP's 'Dark Days' -such a great band and an amazing song, please give it a listen!

After his classes had ended for the night, Rhett would always visit the same coffee shop. 

It was a quaint, comfortable little place a few minutes drive away, with small round tables and fairy lights offering a calm and welcoming environment to work. He’d order his coffee, grade essays, and head home. 

He was always served by the same barista. A plucky, yet clumsy man around Rhett’s age, with big clear frame glasses and short black, slowly greying hair. He grins up at Rhett and adjusts his glasses, and asks if Rhett would like his usual.

“Still no almond milk?” Rhett smiles. He’s probably annoyed everyone by asking that same question over and over.

“Nope, sorry,” The barista hums, scrawling Rhett’s name across his cup and circling the order specifications. 

“You’re holdin’ out on me, Link, vanilla and almond are delicious together,” Rhett says, “I’ll just have the lactose-free stuff instead.”

“Already on it, bud, sit down and I’ll bring it on over in a minute,” Link says, flashing Rhett a grin that makes his heart skip a beat. 

Rhett pays with his contactless card and makes his way to a table, grabbing his notepad from his bag and continuing with his work.

Visiting the cafe this late at night was always a relaxing break, with no kids to look over and no television to distract him, it was almost peaceful. Light jazz plays softly on the speaker and Rhett can hear a small conversation from the two other customers sitting on the couches. 

“Here’s your drink, Rhett,” Link says, setting it down on a coaster a reasonable distance from Rhett’s notebook. “What’re you working on?” 

“Just class planning,” Rhett says, pushing his small circular glasses further up his nose, “Teaching the kids about hidden imagery and composition soon, so I gotta get all my ducks in a row.”

“Hidden imagery? Like, aliens in the background or something?” Link says, resting his hand on the back of Rhett’s chair and peering at his notes. 

“Well, kind of? I was talking more about like, peacock feathers and green carnations to hint at gay subtext, and what the placing and actions of the sitters could represent too,” Rhett says, shrugging with embarrassment, “I just think its cool, man.”

“Maybe you could teach me more about it sometime? It sounds like you got your metaphysical ducks in a row already,” Link smiles. He gives Rhett’s shoulder a firm pat before returning to the counter, and Rhett’s heart is still fluttering in his chest.

He grades a few papers drinks his coffee, occasionally flicking his gaze to Link, bored out of his mind leaning on the counter. Rhett briefly wonders when his shift ends, and if the poor guy has to work until the store closes at god-knows what time. Rhett shudders slightly and turns back to his papers, he thought night classes were bad. 

Finishing his coffee, Rhett stretches his arms and starts packing up, and Link smiles and waves him goodbye.

“See you tomorrow, Link,” Rhett smiles, and Link nods and gives him a wave.

“I’ll be here.”

Rhett returns the same time the following day, card already out to pay for his drink. 

Link gives him a big grin and types in his order, and Rhett sits at his usual table and pulls out his laptop. He’s in the middle of writing an email to his student when Link brings him his coffee with the same big smile. It was beginning to get a little weird, and Rhett smiles awkwardly and sips at his coffee. 

It tastes different, but not in a bad way. It’s delicious, and creamy, and it suddenly clicks in Rhett’s mind that it tastes like _almonds._

“Milk!” Rhett chirps, and Link giggles and nods excitedly, “You got almond milk?”

“Yeah! I bought it in myself, my manager thought it was good customer service so didn’t stop me, do you like it?” Link smiles, and Rhett hugs him from where he’s sitting in his chair.

“This is great Link, thank you!” Rhett says.

“Oh, and I switched my shift today, I end in about twenty minutes, wait around for me?” Link asks, and Rhett nods again. “You can finally tell me about that art stuff.”

Rhett smiles and slowly lets Link go, “Sure brother, just pull up a chair when you end, alright?” 

Link smiles and nods, and disappears back behind the counter, and Rhett watches the time closely as he finishes up his emails. He opens up a few of his favourite art pieces in preparation, and he can’t help but to beam as Link wanders over in a loose jean jacket with a small rainbow pin on the lapel. 

He sits down opposite Rhett and his colleague brings over a coffee for them both.

“So, lecture time?” Link smiles, and Rhett scoots his chair around the table, dragging his laptop and clicking onto the first image. “Ooh nice, should I have brought my notebook?”

Rhett smiles and nudges him softly, “This is Henry Scott Tuke’s work, he painted a lot of male nudity.” Rhett starts, pulling up _‘The Critics’_ and _‘Noonday Heat’_ , “He won a three year scholarship to a fancy art school and lived in Italy and Paris for a while, but he found his place in Cornwall and made friends the local fishing community.”

Link nods a little, “And just started painting all of them nude?”

“Well, they’d be nude because of the nice weather, and they’d all boat and bathe together, he just decided to paint the moment,” Rhett explains, “He reportedly met with Oscar Wilde and a lot of people see his art as male gaze queer artwork, so do I, really.”

“You study, like, gay art specifically or something? You were telling me a bit about it yesterday,” Link asks, and Rhett blushes and shrugs.

“I just… I think it’s cool how brave they were, it was a different world and yet they still lived genuinely as themselves,” Rhett says, “And modern historians try to erase us- _them_ , sorry- completely, so that’s why it’s almost important that I teach my students about it. They don’t deserve to have that rich history taken from them.”

“You said us,” Link asks softly, and Rhett shrugs.

“I’m gay, yeah,” Rhett says, “I… Yeah, guess I gave myself away, huh?”

Link holds his hand under the table and gives it a soft squeeze, “I’m gay too.”

“You are?” Rhett smiles, and Link nods happily. “Gosh, that’s good to hear…”

Link laughs loudly, “What, why?”

“Because I think you’re super cute so now if I ask you out you’re more likely to say yes,” Rhett says, blushing bright red, “That’s embarrassing and I’m rambling, sorry.”

“No! No, it’s cute!” Link insists, “And if you’re free, there’s an open mic night here if you wanna come watch? I’m not working and they’re always fun, so…” 

Rhett smiles and nods, “Sounds great, Link.”

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! kudos and comments are appreciated and encouraged!


End file.
